Predictors of Using Mental Health Services After Sexual Assault

Authors

Matthew Price,

Corresponding author

Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed Heidi S. Resnick, National Crime Victims Center, Medical University of South Carolina, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, 67 President St., Charleston SC, 29425. E-mail: resnickh@musc.edu

Heidi S. Resnick

Corresponding author

National Crime Victims Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed Heidi S. Resnick, National Crime Victims Center, Medical University of South Carolina, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, 67 President St., Charleston SC, 29425. E-mail: resnickh@musc.edu

This research described in this article was supported by NIDA R01DA11158 and NIDAR01DA023099 (PI: Heidi Resnick). Matthew Price was supported by T32MH018869 (PI: Dean Kilpatrick). Views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the agencies supporting this research. Agencies providing funding support had no role in study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of data.

Abstract

Sexual assault increases the risk for psychopathology. Despite the availability of effective interventions, relatively few victims who need treatment receive care in the months following an assault. Prior work identified several factors associated with utilizing care, including ethnicity, insurance, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Few studies, however, have examined predictors of treatment utilization prospectively from the time of assault. The present study hypothesized that White racial status, younger age, being partnered, having health insurance, having previously received mental health treatment, and having more PTSD and depression symptoms would predict utilization of care in the 6 months postassault. This was examined in a sample of 266 female sexual assault victims with an average age of 26.2 years, of whom 62.0% were White and 38.0% were African American assessed at 1.5 and 6 months postassault. Available information on utilizing care varied across assessments (1.5 months, n = 214; 3 months, n = 126; 6 months, n = 204). Significant predictors included having previously received mental health treatment (OR = 4.09), 1 day depressive symptoms (OR = 1.06), and having private insurance (OR = 2.24) or Medicaid (OR = 2.19). Alcohol abuse and prior mental health care were associated with a substantial increase in treatment utilization (OR = 4.07). The findings highlight the need to help victims at risk obtain treatment after sexual assault.

Supporting Information

Supplemental Table 1 Sample Size at Each Measurement Point for Each Variable

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